SitcomsOnline Digest: Must See TV on NBC Officially Dead; Enlisted and Back in the Game on MOD DVD

Saturday, December 13, 2014

SitcomsOnline Digest: Must See TV on NBC Officially Dead; Enlisted and Back in the Game on MOD DVD

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Things are settling down in the world of sitcom news as we are approaching Christmas, but we're here with news of the (official) death of Must See TV, David Letterman's exit from The Late Show, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

NBC's Thursday night lineup has been a haven for sitcoms for the past 34 years, and most (if not all) of NBC's successful and memorable sitcoms since 1980 have aired as part of that lineup for most of their run. Now, it is completely dead, as NBC has turned Thursday night into drama night. (Complex)
Zap2It has ranked NBC's "Must See TV" sitcoms from best to worst, with Seinfeld making it to the top and Coupling making it to the bottom at #62. (Zap2it)
May 20 will be David Letterman's last night on The Late Show. No word yet on when Stephen Colbert will take over. (Washington Post)
Murder, She Wrote will debut on one of the broadcast retro networks for the first time ever on COZI TV in January. (SitcomsOnline)
MeTV is also looking ahead to a new lineup beginning January 1. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

CBS will be releasing Petticoat Junction - Family Favorites on March 10, and while we don't know the exact content of this eight episode disc, it will likely consist of episodes from the seasons of the series that have been released so far.
Enlisted didn't last long on Fox, but it can last a lot longer on your DVD shelf, as Fox has released Enlisted - The Complete Series as a MOD release.
Another short-lived series is also available as a MOD release from Fox: 2013's Back in the Game, with Back in the Game - The Complete Series.

DECEMBER 16 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00NALHK5E/ref=nosim/happydaysonline5-20

Batman - The Complete Series (Blu-ray, $239.99): If this release sounds familiar, that is because technically it is already out on Blu-ray, but now Warner Home Video is bringing fans a lower priced version without the extras.
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis - The Final Season (DVD, $29.93): While the complete series was released long ago, Shout! now finishes up the individual season releases.

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Todd Bridges (Twitter) "Todd Bridges\ actor / Director /stand up comic"

Claim to Fame: As we continue on our child stars from the past theme again this week, we have a child star from the series that really did give child stars a bad name: Diff'rent Strokes. Looking at the child stars from that series, Dana Plato was in trouble for armed robbery and dealt with drug abuse issues, Gary Coleman had a nasty financial battle with his parents, and Todd Bridges dealt with drug abuse and was even charged with the attempted murder of a drug dealer. Unfortunately, Plato and Coleman are no longer living, but Bridges is, and unlike the other two, he has managed to turn his life into something much more positive over the past two decades, and carrying a very positive and upbeat attitude towards life. Most recently, he had a recurring role on Everybody Hates Chris, as well as appearing in several reality shows. Among one of my personal favorite appearances of Bridges is his appearance in the video for The Black Keys song "Howlin' for You." As many of his fellow cast members have died since the series (in addition to the kids mentioned, Conrad Bain, Dixie Carter, Nedra Volz, and even Mary Ann Mobley), he seems to be among the few who will live the longest to remind us of the series.

Pick of the Tweets: "today me and my son are going to have a great time. I really love being a father." (November 26, 2013)

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, December 26

Happy's Place - "Promises, Promises" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Emmett continues his nightly check-ins with Bobbie to ensure her safety, Isabella pays the price as she's kept up by their loud late-night chats, prompting her to tell Bobbie to advance their relationship or at least take it out of the house.

Stumble - "Media Day" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Courteney decides to use media day as a way to recruit new cheerleaders and to push her team to get right back on that mat; DiMarcus proves that not all Buttons are meant to be pushed.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 22)

Friday, December 26

Mila Kunis (Family Guy/That '70s Show) - Watch Mila on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Zooey Deschanel (Physical/New Girl) - Zooey appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Laura Dern (F Is for Family/Enlightened) - Laura is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Rose Byrne (Platonic/Physical) - Rose appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jamie Kaler (My Boys) - Jamie is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Dick Van Dyke (The Dick Van Dyke Show/The New Dick Van Dyke Show/The Van Dyke Show) - Dick discusses his new book with ABC News' Chris Connelly on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Patti LaBelle (Out All Night) - Patti cooks on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Lacey Chabert (Still the King/Baby Daddy/Family Guy) - Lacey talks about Loist in Paradise on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Ryan Reynolds (Two Guys and a Girl) - Ryan appears on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Sarah Paulson (Leap of Faith) - Sarah is a guest on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil appears on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Mo'Nique (The Parkers) - Tamron Hall (repeat) has a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE with Mo'Nique about her weight-loss journey and the launch of her new fitness brand, Mo'Niques Movement, as well as the emotional moment with her husband that changed it all, so check your local listings.
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Star Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - NBC's Today has Cocktails and Mocktails with Neil and David Burtka on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Mario tells Sherri about his new holiday film The Christmas Spark on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Woody Harrelson (Cheers), Dave Franco (The Afterparty/Scrubs/Do Not Disturb), Isla Fisher (Wolf Like Me) and Ariana Greenblatt (Stuck in the Middle) - The Now You See Me: Now You Don't cast including Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher Jesse Eisenberg, Ariana Greenblatt, Justice Smith and Dominic Sessa join Drew to dish all about the third installment of the hit franchise on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.